Teaching in times of COVID-19: A study of Portuguese elementary and secondary school teachers

Abstract

This study aimed at understanding the ways in which Portuguese teachers have adapted to distance teaching as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A national survey was carried out through an online questionnaire. In total, 2369 teachers participated in the study. They came from all sectors of teaching. Findings show that the participants had to deal with a complex number of difficulties associated with the abrupt transition from face-to-face teaching to "emergency remote teaching". This has implied the creation of conditions for pupils to access teaching, the reorganisation of teachers' and schools' work, the adaptation of the teaching and learning process and the mastery of diverse platforms and tools in order for teachers to interact with their pupils. Although a positive perception of the schools and teachers' capacity linked to the valorisation of the internal resources and collegiality has been identified, negative effects were also highlighted. These included overload, stress, anxiety and burnout as well as the lack of capacity to provide an inclusive and universal response.